Comprehensive Assessment of a Hotspot with Persistent Bancroftian Filariasis in Coastal Sri Lanka.

ABSTRACT: The Sri Lankan Anti-Filariasis campaign distributed five rounds of mass drug administration (MDA with diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole) to some 10 million people in eight districts between 2002 and 2006. Sri Lanka was recognized by the WHO for having eliminated lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem in 2016. However, recent studies by our group documented pockets with persistent LF in coastal Sri Lanka, especially in Galle district. The present study was performed to reexamine an area previously identified as a potential hotspot for persistent LF (Balapitiya Public Health Inspector area, population 17,500). A community survey documented high rates for circulating filarial antigenemia (3%, confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-4.9) and microfilaremia (1%, CI: 0.5-2.5%). Circulating

SUBMITTER: Rao RU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6169179 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature